The Benefits Of Early Childhood Socialization And Education: The Results Are In!

By Author: Amanda Bernard
Total Articles: 17
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There has been some debate over how effective early childhood education is for preparing toddlers for success later in life. After years of research, the results are starting to surface. According to one decisive study published on www.futureofchildren.org, investment in quality early childhood care and education can produce important long-term improvements in the intellectual and social development of children. Here are the details surrounding the findings of this study.
Short-Term Effects of Early Childhood Education

The study concluded that childhood education programs designed for children, including those that are routinely provided on a large scale, can produce immediate boosts in IQ, equivalent to about eight IQ points. This is a significant improvement and can have important implications for children in terms of academic performance and placements in special education classes.
Programs that ...
... included one-to-one tutoring, half-day preschool programs, kindergarten education, and child care produced sizable gains in self-esteem, academic motivation, and social behavior
Research results show that early childhood education and care have an important impact on cognitive development and socialization of children in the short-term

Long-Term Effects of Early Childhood Education

All model early education programs studied reported IQ gains at some point during or after children’s participation. In most cases, effects were sustained until school entry at age five. Studies reported IQ gains between 4 and 11 points.
• IQ effects persisted the longest when infants were enrolled in full-day educational child care programs

Effects of Early Childhood Education on School Success

Across all studies, there was overwhelming evidence that early childhood education and care can produce sizable improvements in school success
Communities that had implemented an early childhood education program had a reduced amount of children requiring special education and more children continued on to the next grade
The programs studied had a large effect on graduation rate, which showed a statistically significant improvement
Several of the programs studied found that children who participated had better classroom behavior later, and that children were rated by elementary school teachers as better adjusted socially
Studies showed that early childhood education and care programs increased a child’s pride in school achievement, increased their commitment to school, and helped them build better relationships with friends and neighbors

Conclusions
The weight of the evidence from studies such as these prove that early childhood education and kindergarten education can have positive effects on IQ, school achievement, grade retention, special education, high school graduation, and socialization.

This information can help you make truly informed decisions when it comes to your child’s day care and early education provider. Investing in your child’s early education can assure a lifetime of success for your child.